The Bible as 'hate literature'? Canadians advance bill that chills speech about homosexuality

A prison sentence for quoting the Bible in Canada? Holy Scriptures treated as "hate literature"?

That could happen if a proposed bill is passed by Parliament, according to opponents who believe it would criminalize public expression against homosexual behavior.

A self-described homosexual member of the House of Commons, Svend Robinson, is expected this week to reintroduce bill C-415, which would add sexual orientation as a protected category in Canada's genocide and hate crimes legislation.

Christian groups lined up against the bill admit they can easily be misunderstood for opposing a measure apparently designed to protect people.

"We don't want to promote hatred against anyone and are opposed to violence for whatever reason," said Bruce Clemenger, head of the Evangelical Fellowship of Canada's Centre for Faith and Public Life. "Our concern, though is that ... courts have not distinguished between the identity of the person and the activity. So sexual orientation refers to both the sexual disposition as well as the activity."

But homosexual activists contend such a distinction cannot be made with homosexuals any more than it can with matters of race or ethnic origin.

"The argument of separating the person from the behavior is their concept," insisted Kim Vance, president of Ottawa-based EGALE, Equality for Gays and Lesbians Everywhere.

"In reality they are the same thing," Vance said in a WND interview. "That's language that they use to justify [opposition], but it's language that we don't agree with."

The bill's backers argue that statements against homosexual behavior for religious reasons are exempted in the current law.

In a letter Robinson sends to inquirers, he quotes Alberta Attorney General Dave Hancock, who insists protecting gays from hateful propaganda has nothing to do with endorsing homosexuality.

"There are appropriate ways to discuss issues in our country ... and you don't need to put forward hateful literature," Hancock said. "It doesn't matter what you believe about sexual orientation."

But opponents point out that the law addressed by Robinson's amendment spells out three different types of actions or speech considered criminal, and only one can be excused by a religious defense. And even that one, opponents maintain, has not always held up in court, because its vagueness leaves wide discretion to judges.

The most dangerous aspect of this amendment is that "hate" and "hate propaganda" are not defined, says Brian Rushfeldt, executive director of the Canada Family Action Coalition in Calgary, Alberta.

"I would have no way of knowing I'm conducting a criminal act until I'm charged with it, because there is no clarity in the law," Rushfeldt told WND.

"Sexual oriention" also is not defined in the law. Prime Minister Jean Chretien, when he was justice minister, told a constitutional parliamentary committee in 1981 that "sexual orientation" should not be in the Canadian constitution because it is too "difficult to interpret, to define."

Religious defense?

No religious defense is contained in section 318 of the current law, which has a sentence of up to five years in prison for advocating "genocide," nor in section 319(1), prohibiting public incitement of "hatred" against an identifiable group that is "likely to lead to a breach of the peace."

Section 319(2), which prohibits a public statement that "willfully promotes hatred" against a protected group, does have an article that excuses statements expressed in "good faith," including religion expression.

Clemenger, however, points to a 4-3 Supreme Court decision in which the minority opinion, written by current Chief Justice Beverley McLachlin, expressed deep reservations about whether these defenses are of any use.

"What they are saying is, that if you willfully promote hatred, you can use this defense, but no one in good faith would promote hatred," Clemenger said. "So that 'good faith' clause almost eliminates the defense."

Rushfeldt and his allies note that provincial human rights commissions, which already include sexual orientation as a protected category, have penalized people for actions motivated by their conscientious objection to homosexual behavior.

A Saskatchewan man recently was fined $5,000 for buying a newspaper ad that quoted verses from the Bible condemning homosexual behavior.

Two years ago, the Ontario Human Rights Commission penalized printer Scott Brockie $5,000 for refusing to print letterhead for a homosexual advocacy group. Brockie argued that his Christian beliefs compelled him to reject the group's request.

Robinson's amendment would make both of these men criminals, opponents contend.

Rushfeldt also recalled instances in which the Canadian Broadcast Standards Council rules have been used to censure programs addressing homosexuality. In 1997, the council ruled that the airing of a James Dobson "Focus on the Family" program, called "Homosexuality: Fact and Fiction," violated the requirement that opinion, comment, and editorializing be presented in a way that is "full, fair, and proper."

The rules are "so vague," said Rushfeldt, "that if somebody says something that hurts feelings it can be considered a violation of the broadcast standards."

In a current case, a British Columbia teacher could lose his job for making "derogatory and demeaning" statements against homosexuals, according to the judgment of a teachers association panel. Though none of the statements in question were made in class, the panel cited letters to a newspaper that indicated veteran teacher Chris Kempling's attitude could poison the class environment.

One Kempling letter cited by the panel said: "Gay people are seriously at risk, not because of heterosexual attitudes but because of their sexual behaviour, and I challenge the gay community to show some real evidence that they are trying to protect their own community members by making attempts to promote monogamous, long-lasting relationships to combat sexual addictions."

The Vancouver Sun reported Sept. 25 that the panel does not need to find direct evidence of a poisoned school environment to determine that a member is guilty of conduct unbecoming. The panel said, "It is sufficient that an inference can be drawn as to the reasonable and probable consequences of the discriminatory comments of a teacher."

In June, Sweden passed a constitutional amendment that adds sexual orientation to groups protected against "unfavorable speech." The amendment must be voted on again this fall, and if passed, would be enacted in January. In effect, it outlaws any teaching that homosexuality is wrong, carrying a sentence of up to four years in prison.

U.S. opponents of this kind of legislation fear that the United States is heading in the direction of Canada and Sweden as battles continued to be waged over the addition of sexual orientation as a protected category in hate crimes laws and employment discrimination.

"I think the U.S. is not far behind Canada," said John Paulk, gender and homosexuality specialist for Focus on the Family in Colorado Springs.

Canadian pro-family activists also are concerned about challenges to the definition of marriage, especially after an Ontario court ruled earlier this year that restricting marriage to a man and a woman is unconstitutional and discriminatory.

'Hate literature'

In an "action alert" distributed last week, Rushfeldt wrote that if C-415 becomes law in Canada, "the following consequences will result, especially once hate crime charges are brought before the courts":

The Bible, at least certain portions of the Bible, may be declared "hate literature."

Churches will not be able to mention certain Scriptures.

Clergy may be subjected to criminal charges if they refuse to marry homosexuals.

Parents may be subjected to criminal charges if they refuse to allow their children to attend classes that teach about and promote homosexual behavior.

Expressing disagreement with homosexual behavior or the homosexual agenda, either verbally or in writing, would be considered hate propaganda.

Educators, including those at private religious schools, will not be able to refuse to teach homosexual curriculum.

Religious institutions will not be allowed to teach anything non-supportive of homosexual sex.

Canadian Blood Services will not be allowed to screen risk-behavior donors.

In his letter to constituents, Robinson defends the necessity of the bill by using the example of American Fred Phelps, known for his website "www.godhatesfags.com." Robinson said that when Phelps wanted to come to Canada to "pursue his campaign of hatred against gay and lesbian people," Canadian police lamented that there was nothing in the criminal code to stop him.

Robinson quotes Sgt. Pat Callaghan, head of the hate crimes unit of the Ottawa-Carleton Police Department: "If we had that legislation, we wouldn't have to put up with his nonsense . We could have told him, 'If you show up and start spreading this hate, we'll arrest you.'"

Opponents point out, however, that Phelps, pastor of Westboro Baptist Church in Topeka, Kan., bases his views on religious grounds, which contradicts Robinson's claim that he does not intend to shut down religious discussion.

EGALE's Vance told WorldNetDaily that she believes, however, that religious speech must be limited.

"There's a huge difference between someone being allowed to practice their religion and taking out ads in the newspaper saying that gay and lesbian people are sick and immoral," said EGALE's Vance. "There is a line there, and it's been crossed."

Responding to concerns about free speech, Robinson said the law has an additional protection in that no criminal proceeding can be instituted without the consent of the provincial attorney general, which "will prevent frivolous or trivial prosecutions."

Clemenger said, however, that provincial law officials across the country have expressed support for the bill and have shown deference to homosexual activists in their decisions.

Robinson said the Canadian Association of Police Boards adopted a resolution in support of C-415 at its annual general meeting Aug. 23, "noting that equal protection and treatment of all citizens is fundamental to a fair justice system."

Not a dead issue

Robinson's bill passed a "vote in principle" in the House of Commons in May  with just 16 MPs present  and must pass a final vote before submission to the Senate, where opponents say it likely would be "rubber stamped."

Some Canadians mistakenly have believed that the bill is a dead issue, according to opponents, because when a new session of Parliament convenes, all legislation from the previous session dies.

But according to the rules, if Robinson resubmits the bill within 30 days of the Sept. 30 "Speech from the Throne"  which outlines Parliament's plans for the year  the legislation will continue on its track from the same position it had before.

Bill Siksay, Robinson's assistant at his Burnaby, B.C., office, said Robinson was unavailable for comment. He told WND, however, that the MP has indicated his intent to reintroduce the bill this week.

Patrice Martin, clerk of the Standing Committee on Justice and Human Rights for the House of Commons, which would handle the bill, said he expects C-415 to be reactivated.

Martin's committee then would prioritize the bill among other submissions by government and members of parliament. The committee could either delay C-415  a private members bill  or send it back to the House for a "third reading" and final vote, possibly with amendments.

Enough votes

Vance believes that based on the voting pattern of MPs, enough votes are there to pass C-415. She notes passage of a law that added sexual orientation as a factor in sentencing for crimes motivated by hatred.

"Our sense is there is very strong support for [C-415]," she said. "To me, this is just a natural extension of the sentencing law. If you agree that sexual orientation is a motivating factor for hate crimes, then it's logical to have it for speech."

Her group is preparing a brief for the justice committee and plans to submit a petition that it circulated in the summer.

The issue has received little attention in the Canadian press, says opponent Jim Enos, vice chairman of the Hamilton-Wentworth Family Action Council in Ontario.

"We're asleep as a nation," said Enos. "Outside of families who are made aware through the churches, you never hear anybody talking about it."

"I don't think people are all that politically minded as a whole, unless they are closely linked to a church," Enos added. "They're more concerned about the price of a VCR or DVD."

About 1,400 people paid $175 a plate at the Westin Diplomat Resort and Spa in Hollywood to see the junior Democratic senator from New York and former first lady get her award.

''One of the pieces of unfinished business in this country is that we eliminate all vestiges of discrimination and bias and be sure that the laws fully protect all of us,'' she said.

The 8-year-old foundation, an umbrella group for local gay-rights organizations, recognized Clinton for various stands she has taken, including her support of extending benefits for Sept. 11 victims to gay partners and her cosponsorship of a bill that would prohibit discrimination in the workplace based on sexual orientation. The bill has yet to gain enough backing to pass Congress.

''We have a long way to go . . . but we are making progress,'' she said.

Said MarkyG, a host on Miami techno-pop radio station Party 93.1: ``It's wonderful to have a role model, someone we can take pride in who supports us and who doesn't make you feel like second-class citizens. Hillary makes you feel just like everyone else.''

Also praising Clinton: Janet Reno, the former U.S. attorney general and gubernatorial candidate who attended the dinner and drew some of the crowd's loudest applause.

Clinton thanked the crowd for helping defeat a Sept. 10 Miami-Dade initiative to repeal the county's gay-rights amendment that prohibits discrimination on the basis of sexual orientation. Voters elected to keep the amendment.

The foundation -- which announced it's changing its name to the Gay and Lesbian Foundation of South Florida -- gave its Humanitarian Award on Saturday to Lee Brian Schrager, director of media and special events for Southern Wine and Spirits of America, the country's largest distributor of alcoholic and nonalcoholic beverages.

Southern Wine and Spirits has made donations to several South Florida gay and AIDS-related charities and was a major sponsor of the 2002 Miami Gay and Lesbian Film Festival. The award was sponsored by The Herald.

Former winners of the National Impact Award include House Democratic Leader Richard Gephardt and Miami's Billy Bean, a retired major-league baseball player who made national news by revealing he is gay.

I don't think even they have any idea what they are saying. How do you equate homosexuality with skin color? The acknowledgement that there is more than one race of human is, in and of itself, by definition, racist.

These race baiters are the biggest racists on the planet. There is no such thing as a different race of human. Human is the race.

A self-described homosexual member of the House of Commons, Svend Robinson, is expected this week to reintroduce bill C-415, which would add sexual orientation as a protected category in Canada's genocide and hate crimes legislation.

It should be noted, Svend Robinson is a strong supporter of Arafat, whom he has visited many times at government expense.

They have made a lot of headway in persuading the public that this false analogy works, in part because black leaders --to build coalition--have accepted it. They more or less have to, because the media --where "gays" are highly represented--insist that this absurdity is true.

"There's a huge difference between someone being allowed to practice their religion and taking out ads in the newspaper saying that gay and lesbian people are sick and immoral," said EGALE's Vance. "There is a line there, and it's been crossed."

In his letter to constituents, Robinson defends the necessity of the bill by using the example of American Fred Phelps, known for his website "www.godhatesfags.com." Robinson said that when Phelps wanted to come to Canada to "pursue his campaign of hatred against gay and lesbian people," Canadian police lamented that there was nothing in the criminal code to stop him.

Fred Phelps, despite his never-ending hate talk, continues to aid the cause of the Gay-stapo immeasurably. It just never ends.

Even though he and his miniscule congregation have no influence whatsoever, that jackass and his "church" members are a weeping cancerous lesion on the American religious and political scenes.

Rushfeldt also recalled instances in which the Canadian Broadcast Standards Council rules have been used to censure programs addressing homosexuality. In 1997, the council ruled that the airing of a James Dobson "Focus on the Family" program, called "Homosexuality: Fact and Fiction," violated the requirement that opinion, comment, and editorializing be presented in a way that is "full, fair, and proper."

The rules are "so vague," said Rushfeldt, "that if somebody says something that hurts feelings it can be considered a violation of the broadcast standards."

That's not quite true. There was a complaint filed against Bill Maher for comments about Jesus Christ and/or God and Catholics and/or Christians that were broadcast on a Canadian comedy channel. That was OK with them.

Anyone who read the Canadian Broadcast Standards Council censure of Dr. Laura Schlessinger for her comments about radical gay activists knows how mushy the Canucks are about thorny issues of incorrect speech.

From the decision, filed February 2, 2000, but strategically released to damage her upcoming TV show (bold mine; the multiple italized words are theirs):

The hosts perspective is clear and unambiguous. Whether the terms she uses are "abnormal", "aberrant", "dysfunctional", "disordered", "deviant", "an error" or the like, her terminology is clearly pejorative. She is unhesitatingly critical, negative and unambiguous and her words are as critical and unrelenting as she can make them. In the end, she is utterly rigid about a fundamental issue which goes to the nature, the essence of gays and lesbians. It is the view of the Councils that the hosts argument that she can "surgically" separate the individual persons from their inherent characteristics so as to entitle her to make comments about the sexuality which have no effect on the person is fatuous and unsustainable. As the [Canadian] Supreme Court has said, where an identifiable group of persons is "defined by an innate or unchangeable characteristic", it will be protected by the human rights provision of the broadcasters Code of Ethics in Canada just as all Canadians are protected by the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms. The sexual practices of gays and lesbians are as much a part of their being as the colour of ones skin or the gender, religion, age or ethnicity of an individual. To use such brutal language as she does about such an essential characteristic flies in the face of Canadian provisions relating to human rights.

Whether or not Americans are so protected in their country is a non-issue for the CBSC. Gays and lesbians are so protected in this country. Whether it is or is not the case in the United States, gays and lesbians constitute a group benefiting from overwhelming judicial and legislative acknowledgment of gay and lesbian rights, not to mention popular support, under the human rights provisions in this country. The words of Supreme Court Justice La Forest cited in the previous paragraph from his opinion in Egan v. Canada [1995] 2 S.C.R. 513 were applied by him in the context of a decision on the constitutional validity of a statute challenged as being in breach of the Charters protection of individuals based on their sexual orientation. He also held:

I have no difficulty accepting the appellants contention that whether or not sexual orientation is based on biological or physiological factors, which may be a matter of some controversy, it is a deeply personal characteristic that is either unchangeable or changeable only at unacceptable personal costs. [Emphasis added.]

Since the sexual practices of gays and lesbians define them as homosexuals and are inseparable from their personas, any attempt by the host to justify her statements on the basis that she is speaking about the practices rather than the individuals must fail. In other words, the Councils have no hesitation in concluding that the statements are discriminatory vis-à-vis gays and lesbians on the basis of their sexual orientation. While there may be uses of the terms "abnormal", "aberrant", "dysfunctional", "disordered", "deviant", "an error" and so on which could, in some circumstances, be reasonable, their sheer weight in these programs and the hosts unremittingly heavy-handed and unambiguously negative characterisation of those sexual practices is abusively discriminatory and in breach of the Code.

HATE CRIME! Hmmm, where do I remember hearing that phrase? Ah yes, the International Criminal Court will concern itself with crimes against humanity, hate crimes. Bill Clinton signed on for us at the midnight hour, it took Bush until the ICC was ratified over a full year after he come to power to come out against the ICC. These two acts were grave mistakes. The ICC exists. Sooner or later we will be at it's mercy. And it's rulings will be tied to things that our leadership will not want to mess with. We will live by it's edicts.

I don't have much use for anti-gay stuff from the Bible or anywhere else, but I do love living in a country where we have "the right to be wrong". There's a big difference between living in a country that fought for its freedom, and one that merely waited for the British to get tired of the weather and leave!

The argument of separating the person from the behavior is their concept," insisted Kim Vance, president of Ottawa-based EGALE, Equality for Gays and Lesbians Everywhere. "In reality they are the same thing."

How rediculous. Up is down. Black is white. Humans are just animals and animals are as important as humans.

The real "reality" is that the idea, the activity, and the person are 3 seperate things. For example, you can hate Islam, the idea, without hating Muslims. You can hate communism, the idea, without hating communists. You can hate the act of homosexuality without hating gays.

What should be prohibited is acting on that hate. I think that this prohibition already exists since assault, arson, vandalism, murder and incitement are already against the law. What the gay unions want is to prohibit the freedom of expression and the freedom to conceive and express ideas. That is deplorable.

What should be prohibited is acting on that hate. I think that this prohibition already exists since assault, arson, vandalism, murder and incitement are already against the law. What the gay unions want is to prohibit the freedom of expression and the freedom to conceive and express ideas. That is deplorable.

I think that Americans have to lose this idea that Canada is just like America, only colder and cleaner. Freedom of speech as Americans know it doesn't exist in Canada, and every so often something like this controversy happens to make that clear.

A self-described homosexual member of the House of Commons, Svend Robinson, is expected this week to reintroduce bill C-415, which would add sexual orientation as a protected category in Canada's genocide and hate crimes legislation.

It should be noted, Svend Robinson is a strong supporter of Arafat, whom he has visited many times at government expense. ________________________

"Now therefore, kill every male among the little ones, and kill every woman who has known man by lying with him. But all the young girls who have not known man by lying with him, keep alive for yourselves." ..........Numbers 31:17 (Moses)

"Now therefore, kill every male among the little ones, and kill every woman who has known man by lying with him. But all the young girls who have not known man by lying with him, keep alive for yourselves." ..........Numbers 31:17 (Moses)

This commandment was directed at people who caused a plague because of gross immorality and sex orgies. God demanded sexual decency and when people defied God, there was a consequence.

I am chilled to the core. To echo Charlton Heston, they can have my Bible when they pry it from my cold dead hands. This is awful, this is an attack on Christianity, but what can we expect, I anticipate it will get far far far worse (obviously) before it gets better. God Bless

The contradictions of the Looney Left are breathtaking at times. This is a group that has discarded logic and critical thinking. Instead, we are to rely solely on "feeeelings" as our guide in life -- world happiness and harmony is predicated on this unnatural emphasis on "feeelings" and emotion. Yet, a major, valid emotion -- hate -- is the one you are never, ever supposed to have.

I hate certain things, I hate certain actions and I certainly hate some people and groups of people. Pish-posh my views all you want. But make my thoughts a crime and try to come and get me? Then you should prepare to die. I will bow my thoughts to no man or state.

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